BEST RESTAURANTS IN PALM SPRINGS

[LAfoodwhore]

I AM GOING TO BE IN PALM SPRINGS FOR 3 DAYS.
WHERE SHOULD I EAT? PLEASE GIVE ME NAMES OF THE BEST PLACES FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER, IM HAVING SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME. I DONT EAT MEAT(FISH IS OK) SO NO STEAK HOUSES. ITALIAN, FRENCH OR AMERICAN.

SO FAR IM THINKING:

BLEND
ZIN MATCHBOX
MELVYN'S
CUISTOT
SPENCERS
TWENTY 6
PHILIPPE'S
SIROCCO
NORMA'S

????????????

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON RESTAURANTS WOULD BE GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[stevenohren]

A new restaurant just opened at the recently restored Colony Palms Hotel. It's called the Purple Pam and it is fabulous. They says it is Mediteranean but it is rather eclectic. Several fish dishes are on the menu. Try to get an outside table with awesome views of the mountains as well as the action in the couryard. Dinner is by far their best meal.

[LAfoodwhore]

Awesome!! That is the hotel I am staying at. I guess I will save gas and go there.
Thank you Steven

[susancinsf]

I am in Palm Springs now for about four days. Full reports to follow when I get home, but wanted to put in my two cents here: had dinner tonight at Purple Palm. Setting is indeed gorgeous, as is the hotel in general. However, dinner was one of my more disappointing in recent memory, with overly fussy and heavy-handed food. Yes, it might be eclectic in the sense that every dish has multiple ingredients, and yet it all tasted the same. not good and I would not dine there again.

If you must have that beautiful setting, have a drink at the bar: my pear and rosemary martini was decent and the view from the bar is the exact same one you get from those outside tables. The 'action in the coutyard' consists primarily of a lovely swimming pool framed by those beautiful mountains and palm trees, along with some art-deco era trimmings....

Johannes, OTOH, was great in every respect and I'd go there again in a heartbeat. Will post a full report later.

Haven't gotten to Zin and probably won't make it there, but it isn't open for lunch yet, at least during the week. Atmosphere is very plain/storefronty and doesn't appeal to me (close together tables) but I imagine the food could be a whole lot better than Purple Palm (it almost has to be). It is definitely more reasonably priced than Purple Palm.

Tomorrow some colleagues and I are thinking of heading out towards Indio in search of some downscale Mexican food....

[lotta_cox]

I had a very different experience at the Purple Palm. I went two nights in a row and my food was amazing.

[brgross]

A BAD EPISODE OF TOP CHEF

We went to the Purple Palm for New Year's based on some on-line searches and recommendation of a friend who works in Palm Springs. Because it was New Year's, we expected that this would not be their best presentation, but a solid representative of their offerings.

We arrived 10 minutes before our reservation time of 9:15. We decided to grab a drink and wait at the bar. And wait. And wait. And wait. This wouldn't have been so bad if the bartenders had had an ounce of personality. We were treated like we had the plague rather than paying customers. They were out (huh?) of one of their signature cocktails, the Morocco cocktail. And because we spent so much time at the bar, I got to watch one bartender skimp on his cocktails. Where the menu said that the drink included Cointreau, he used Triple Sec. That's either the sign of a bad or incompetent bartender.

Finally, we were seated at 10. I don't know where to begin with this meal. What a disaster! There is such a thing as too much creativity. The first plate was a checkerboard of halibut and Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon! Are you kidding me? I do not expect farmed salmon at a fine restaurant. The next course for me was the "Arctic char." When the kitchen boy (where was the waiter?) brought the dish out, he said "salmon filet." I corrected him and he said, "Oh yeah, arctic char." He was right the first time. It was an overcooked piece of the whitest piece of salmon that I have ever seen at a restaurant. While the presentation was superb on all of the dishes all night long, I wish that they had actually tasted their food at some point. My husband had the pickled beet/ruby red grapefruit/lobster salad (huh?). It tasted as bad as it sounds. Enough said.

The next course of the night was the highlight. It was a vegetable soup. I don't know if I liked it so much because I was starving, but my memory of this was that it was really good. Maybe the main entrees were going to be OK after all. Was I wrong! First, the waiter brings the wine pairings. He brought wines for the wrong entrees. The wines were OK, but not well paired for the meals. I had the New York strip which was tough and cold. It tasted fine, but reminiscent of an early bird special at Denny's. My husband had the saltimbocca that looked nothing like any that I've seen before. The thing tasted like a leftover casserole from a high school cafeteria.

Finally (it was midnight), dessert arrived. I had the chocolate cake which was good, but not memorable. My husband had the panna cotta which was good, until I ruined it by taking a bite of the ice cream. It was sitting on a bed of diced garlic. Garlic! Garlic for dessert? Someone needs to go back to culinary school. In fact, this whole event reminded me of a bad episode of Top Chef, and I wouldn't have been surprised if someone came out at the end of the meal and told me that.

The check arrived. $165 per person. Damn! I would have gladly spent this amount had I enjoyed the meal. We reluctantly paid and got out. The only consolation of the night is that a minor celebrity (Jeff Lewis from Bravo's "Flipping Out") was sitting at the table next to us and they received even worse service than we did. They still hadn't received their entrees by midnight.

All in all, this place is in a cool location (I really like the pool/courtyard), but the food was awful and service not much better. I think that the most telling thing about the place is that twice in two days while driving past the place there was a pizza delivery guy parked in front of the place. Eater beware!

Happy New Year!

[LAfoodwhore]

WOW, what a nightmare. It is very disorganized there. The food is odd but I had a few good dishes. Try the soufflés, I had pear and chocolate yummy. I would have to say the atmosphere is worth going for. The courtyard and mountains are beautiful.

We stayed at the Colony Palms Inn and I loved it. They keep the rooms at 74, which I couldn't sleep in. Hope they fix that.

[psfoodgirl]

I assume you have already come to Palm Springs but I would like to mention that Blend, Cuistot, Sirocco and Twenty 6 are not in Palm Springs. They are actually about 30-45 minutes east.
In Palm Springs - Norma's is great for breakfast or lunch. So is Philippe's. Spencer’s has an ok lunch although the food in not always consistent, imo.
Matchbox and Zin are two very different restaurants. (they were together so wasn’t sure if there was confusion.) Matchbox is casual food, casual service but has a good bar at night with happy hour food. Zin is casual but much better food and a great wine list. There is word on the street Zin is expanding and might open for lunch so depending on when you come they might be an option as well.
Melvyn’s is 70’s food with 70’s service with a piano lounge at night. Very old school but not a real great dining experience but more of a trip back in time :).
Eat at Hotel Zozo has a decent lunch as well.
Hope you had a good time and this is good for someone!

[LAfoodwhore]

Thanks. I had lunch there once. Definitely mediocre but it had a very cozy dining room and fire place.

[susancinsf]

had lunch where?

[LAfoodwhore]

Cuistot. sorry don't know how that part of the conversation got lost.

UPDATE:
After this last trip I will never go back to Cuistot. I guess I was drawn to the snooty atmosphere being used to the way things are here in LA, but the food was horrible. My mom sent her salmon back and it still came back grey, yuck. The waiter never apologized. The weird thing is, is that they always have these weird fashion shows while your eating. Nice atmosphere with out the fashion models/sales women.

[torta basilica]

I wouldn't recommend Cuistot - we had a very mediocre meal there.

[LAfoodwhore]

?

[bigredd]

I agree. Cuistot used to be excellent but when it moved to its present and much larger location it began to serve expensive banquet food. A real shame.

[LAfoodwhore]

Ok, So I tried Normas, OMG so good!!!!
Also, my new favorite is Al Dente. I know it is not a 5 star restaurants but I had the most consistent good meals. I will go back there for sure.

So, I still haven't tried Blend or Twenty 6. Maybe next year.

[LAfoodwhore]

Also, Shields Date Gardens in Indio is a must!!!! Their date shakes are out of this world!

[Mick Ruthven]

>Shields Date Gardens in Indio is a must!<

Have you been recently? My last time was two years ago and it very much had an "over the hill" rundown look and atmosphere.

[LAfoodwhore]

Atmosphere not so good. But their date shakes were really good.

[torta basilica]

I actually don't like theirs or Hadley's date shakes at all - and I am a date shake freak! Had one a couple of months ago and was very disappointed. Plus, they don't do banana-date :(

[Mick Ruthven]

>I actually don't like theirs or Hadley's date shakes at all - and I am a date shake freak! Had one a couple of months ago and was very disappointed.<

As a date shake freak, what should Shield's date shake have been but wasn't?

Have you tried the date shake at Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates (fairly new place a year ago)?

[torta basilica]

They're just too sweet and I think (Although will not swear, as I was not watching) that they are made from those date crystals, not the actual date puree with lovely bits of 'date skin' in it :)

No, I haven't tried theirs yet, but will try to get there!

[Mick Ruthven]

I don't have any history with date shakes except for a couple at Shields (two and more years ago) and one at Palm Springs Fudge a year ago. At Palm Springs Fudge I saw them scoop in date puree (which may have included date crystals, don't know). My understanding is that date shakes used to be very common in the area. Now they are very difficult to find and, as you said, often of questionable quality. I'll be visiting friends there next month (that's becoming a yearly event) so will definitely get back to Palm Springs Fudge assuming they're still there.

[LAfoodwhore]

I also tried Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates' date shake and it was delicious. I still like Shields better.

[Mick Ruthven]

I guess there's nothing for me to do on my next trip there but to have both of them.

[LAfoodwhore]

Yes, great idea!

[Mick Ruthven]

OK, I'm in Palm Springs for my almost-annual trip to visit friends, and I sacrificed my body for the sake of Date Shake wisdom. The one at Palm Springs Fudge is quite good; I saw them scoop the date paste into the can; it tasted like they used real (rich) vanilla ice cream. It was very creamy, had good date flavor, but with no detectable bits of dates present. The one at Shields was was made with date paste that looked the same as at Palm Springs Fudge, but the result was more date flavor and distinct bits of dates. It was probably made with ice milk and wasn't as rich/creamy, but the dates are the thing and all three of us preferred the Shields version. If you're in Palm Springs, there's no reason to not get the very good Palm Springs Fudge date shake, but if you're going down the valley, the Shields (in Indio) version is better. Also, Shields has been noticeably revitalized in the last two years, with new paint, three date-shake people instead of one, etc. It's still a (welcome) throwback, though, not a new, modern facility, and a valuable piece of history.

[LAfoodwhore]

I totally agree

[davina]

I had a date shake at Shield's today -- the atmosphere is certainly old-timey and charming, but the shakes may have lost their charm. They weren't making them fresh, just pulling them out of a freezer. And there was definitely a not-fresh taste, like they were using commercial ice cream (or, if they make their own, using additives/stabilizers?).

[lovetoroq]

Go for German Pancakes at Elmers

[hungerpains]

That would be very hard to do. Elmers no longer is in business.

[desireeinps]

still in business on east palm canyon and they still have fabulous German pancakes

[Mick Ruthven]

Are those pancakes the only thing to get at Elmer's? I found this from last September on this board:
I found Elmer's to be sad greasy diner food - like a really bad Denny's. Super-sysco-fied - bland, frozen processed food, nothing tasted fresh or housemade. Overly greasy. The coffee was brown water.

[desireeinps]

Honestly, I never ate dinner there. Breakfast is good. But there is a new place in PS called Cafe Amuse' on Tahquitz...awesome breakfast. Crepes', pancakes, beignets' great Chef. Breakfast might be only on weekends they are fairly new.

[bohemiana]

I had the German pancake last weekend and I would order it again0--I really liked it but it was the first time I have ever had one so I can't compare it to another place. However, the rest of the people I was dining with ordered French toast, cinnamon toast, eggs, buscuits, etc. and those were fairly ordinary/average.

[Beach Chick]

For dinner we always go to the Le Vallauris in Palm Springs..enjoy the food and the ambiance..love the outside courtyard.

www.levallauris.com

[LAfoodwhore]

Thanks!

[1HotTomato]

I've been having to go out to PS a bit lately, and am fortunate enough to be able to eat just about anywhere. I've had two lovely experiences at Johanne's. The atmosphere is mellow, the service excellent, and the food delicious. I went for drinks and desserts one night and the creme brulee and bread pudding (which I'm generally not a fan of) were spectacular.

Another night I had the escargot as a starter and the duck as a main course...both of which were fantastic - the snails tender not chewy and the duck rare but well-rendered.

I've been to Zin a few times and it's been more hit-or-miss. My first experience was great - fantastic server...chive butter so good I had to replicate it immediately...AMAZING super-creamy lobster bisque strewn with huge chunks of claw meat and decadently seasoned with sherry....rare hanger steak and crispy frittes that were perfect...amazing creme brulee. I had to have that same meal again, but was disappointed the second time around.

The next time, the soup was a cream of wild mushroom (which was good, but not sublime), a distracted waiter, hanger steak that was impossible to chew...frittes were underdone...and I skipped dessert. I couldn't leave fast enough.

Matchbox was (IMHO) god-awful Overrated. Sauce was flavorless and cheese gummy. Crust was okay...but not stellar. Why does this place get raves? Am I just ordering poorly?

Hotel Zoso's Eatz was just AWFUL. Stayed at the hotel, which is lovely...but the food was awful. I was served ice-cold, congealed food not once, but twice. Better to walk next door to Johanne's, which is what I began to do.

Kaiser Grille was very blah as well, but at least the servers were nice.

I'm looking forward to trying the Purple Palm this time around. Am staying at Colony Palms, and it looks great.

[Mick Ruthven]

>Matchbox was (IMHO) god-awful Overrated. Sauce was flavorless and cheese gummy. Crust was okay...but not stellar. Why does this place get raves? <

I was there in February and thought the pizza and also the crab cakes were quite good. I can't remember many details about the pizza, but the sauce was anything but flavorless; I remember thinking how intense the flavor of the sauce was. I also don't remember the cheese being gummy. I'll definitley go back. Some places vary a lot from time to time. That was my only time there so I have no data other than the many other rave reports here.

[lsla]

I agree with Mick. I moved to SoCal from NYC four years ago and am pretty tough on pizza. I've visited Matchbox three times in the last two months and had good experiences every time. The crust is definitely the high point as it's crispy and light.
Anyone been to Pommes Fritte lately? I've never been but am looking to try it on my next visit.

[1HotTomato]

Maybe I was at Matchbox on an off-night. Will give it another try.

But tonight, eating at Purple Palm. Menu looks fantastic, and the Colony Palms Hotel is adorable. Room is small, but feels like a mini vacation. There is a huge hammock tucked into a private corner outside my door, as well as a soothing fountain. Great lounge-y furniture by the pool. Looking forward to dinner.

[lsla]

Looking forward to hearing how it is!

[RBCal]

I would not recommend Pommes Fritte, $20 for four scallops is not a good value. Supposedly the mussels are okay but I also found the service to be poor.

[playfulcrow]

I actually love Pommes Frittes and think the service there is quite good. I do love their mussels and find them better than Zin.

For me, Zin is hit or miss. I'm done with it. I had a bad experience there recently. I think they're shooting above what they really are.

Others in this thread have shot-down Cuistot. Again, I disagree. I love, love, love their lobster pot pie and the service has always been outstanding ... definitely the best we've experienced in the valley and we've lived here more than a year now.

As far as Matchbox goes, their pizza is pretty good. I've had it a few times and have learned to ask them to go easy on the use of capers.

I love it when my mother-in-law comes out to the desert because it gives us an excuse to head to Davey's Hideaway. Call me a freak ... but I love the old school atmosphere and my food is generally very good. Ah ... the comforting memories of years gone by.

[lsla]

Any thoughts on Citron or Purple Palm? We have two other couples coming to visit this weekend and am looking to do a nice dinner one of the nights. I like Zin well enough, but would rather go somewhere with some outdoor seating.

[torta basilica]

Purple Palm is pretty amazing - I've only had lunch there, but it's a fabulous setting - ask for a table on the patio and the food was wonderful!

[LAfoodwhore]

When I ate at the Purple Palm last year while staying at the Colony Palms hotel I found the food to be a bit off. They were creative but it didn't always work. It's mostly hit or miss. I would definitely try it! The hotel is great.

[torta basilica]

Perhaps lunch is more conformist :) We were there 2 weeks ago & split the asparagus & the Nicoise sandwich - both were wonderful.

[LAfoodwhore]

what do you recommend at Davey's? Any vegetarian items?

[playfulcrow]

I'm a vegetarian, too, (though I will eat wild seafood if pressed) and I've always had luck at Davey's with them preparing items without meat. I had scampi last time I was there, but have had a pasta dish there too (perhaps it was an alfredo that I had them leave the chicken out of). I've also just had a larger version of the wedge dinner salad and loved that. Their blue cheese is delish.

[manical]

At matchbox, your not ordering poorly but just not opening up to your server and telling them what you think, when you would rather leave a restaurant and complain on this web site. This will never satisfy your hunger but only your distain for bad food! I believe in letting those who can make your experience better, know what you like and dislike about the food and or service. You go to enough restaurants (no matter how good they may be) and you will become the broken egg that is needed to make a great omelet. It not the bad experience that's the problem but how the experience is handled by your server and or their manager.

[gmiao314]

How about a place for a romantic dinner where you can dress up for without feeling wierd. Any good one? Copley and Valleuris are out of question for the time I am looking at cuz they will be close.

[lsla]

How about Citron at the Viceroy? I think it's gotten mixed reviews here, but I had a dinner there last month that was fabulous. Also recently went to the bar for drinks and appetizers which was a great experience too.
People are typically dressed nicely, women in dresses, etc.

[gmiao314]

oh great. have you been to Spencer's or Azur? heard good reviews on those, but not sure if they have nice ambience?

[lsla]

I haven't, but I've heard good things about both. Azur is in La Quinta, though, which is pretty far from Palm Springs. Not sure where you're staying.
There's also Zin, which isn't as "dressy," but certainly a nice enough atmosphere and very good food, right downtown. I'd definitely recommend it. Also look into Purple Palm. I've only been there for drinks, but it's a lovely spot at the Colony Palms hotel. You could always just go there for (expensive) drinks and do dinner somewhere else.

[bohemiana]

Even if you were rolling in dough I would NOT recommend Copley's. Wow, what a giant waste of money. You are paying for the setting (pretty courtyard) but the food was terrible--really, I don't mean just average; it was not good.

Maybe the chef was gone last weekend but I can't understand how anyone would go to this place twice.

[ac3197]

while this post is still going....I'm taking my girlfriend for her 30th next month to palm springs for the weekend. We're staying at hotel zoco, which I hear has a horrible eatery (eatz). looking for a nice steakhouse or something that isn't too fancy (blowing all my money on the poolside casita) for dinner. Any other recs? Just looking for good food....

[lsla]

I'm not a big steakhouse person, but The Falls is good, though very expensive...I prefer just sitting at the bar there and ordering from the bar/happy hour menu and getting a martini.
You'd probably be better off going to Zin, which has steaks and a more reasonably priced menu than The Falls and has excellent food.
Copley's is great for a special bday dinner, but again, expensive.

[StacyM]

AC3197
Try Billy Reed's, 1800 North Palm canyon
A little further out is Huell Howser's favorite steakhouse, Capri in
Desert Hot Springs http://capri-italianrestaurant.com/ great T-Bone.
Both of these are fairly reasonable and not too fancy.

[gmiao314]

I just came back from PS. A lot of the restaurants are close. But I stumbled on Mr. Parker which I thought was gorgeous and tasty. Spencer's I like. The Fall's steak is great too eventhough I am not always a steak person. Bing Crosby's Piano Bar is not mentioned a lot but it is actually very nice for a special ocasion and you can dress up too.

[butterbutt]

How about Palm Desert.. We have been to most of the mentioned ones.. has anyone been to Azur.. their website seems like it is only a lounge not sure... We loved Blend.. but it is gone :(

[exSiberian]

I haven't eaten at eatz for dinner but have eaten lunch there a few times. It's unfortunately a good place to go for a working lunch because you have the place to yourself. Last time I was there somebody got the grilled chicken sandwich, which looked good. I got a southwestern wrap which was fine. Service is a little spotty, but the atmosphere is quite nice and I've yet to be disappointed by the food. Citron is better but it's cramped. Purple Palm has the best atmosphere of all -- I recently got a flank steak and arugula salad with a pesto balsamic vinaigrette which was superb. They also do a Nicoise focaccia open-faced sandwich which I've had three times -- but the first time was the best.

[RBCal]

Best new restaurants in the desert according to Palm Springs life

WHERE TO EAT

1) BAMBOO COVE
72286 Highway 111, Palm Desert, [phone]

2) CAVA
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa, 44400 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, [phone]

3) CHARLIE’S CALIFORNIA FRESH
75130 St. Charles Place, Palm Desert, [phone]

4) CORK TREE
74950 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert, [phone]

5) CRAB POT RESTAURANT & BAR
78121 Avenida La Fonda, La Quinta, [phone]

6) INDIA OVEN
35875 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, [phone]

7) PASEO PALMS BAR AND GRILL
73040 El Paseo, Palm Desert, [phone]

8) PURPLE PALM RESTAURANT & BAR
Colony Palms Hotel, 572 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, [phone]

9) RISTORANTE DONETELLA
71511 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, [phone]

10) TIERRA MIA RESTAURANT
42305 Washington Street, Palm Desert, [phone]

11) TRATTORIA TIRAMISU
72655 Highway 111, Palm Desert, [phone]

http://www.palmspringslife.com/media/...

[torta basilica]

Interesting that only one, Purple Palm, actually in or even close to Palm Springs!

[butterbutt]

thank you!! I will look all up..

ps I did email Azur.(at the La Quinta Resort). they are a wine and cheese bar for the summer.. no date when they will open for 'the season'

[exSiberian]

Azul is in downtown Palm Springs and is pretty good. It's a tapas restaurant and I've eaten there a few times and enjoyed it. It has a great patio right on Palm Canyon but cozier inside seating.

[kel]

Is these list just promotional--those who pay / advertise?

[LAfoodwhore]

no..just discussion

[lkh]

Jake’s is a hidden gem In Palm Springs. Don’t let the plain façade fool you. This is food is wonderful. We are of the Top Chef type…for foodies this is your place. Small but cutie patio. But let’s get on to the important thing-food. Had lunch here…my husband is vegetarian and I’m a fish person. Had the tomato soup, beet salad, tuna wrap, egg salad sandwich. Bread was tender yet crunchy, soup very flavorful. Tuna excellent grade. Had a virgin bloody mary…excellent…imagine the real thing! Had dinner too. Very impressive. Beet and pear salad, wonderfully tender scallop appetizer, outstanding eggplant stack—tender and melt in your mouth delicious. Had salmon entrée- a bit over cooked but excellent flavor. Wine by the glass limited selection but nice options. Had the Nob Hill at another customer’s suggestion. Lovely. Lunch and dinner a great value with wonderful food. Staff was very hard working and friendly. Co-owners Bruce and Chris aim to please. Food here as good as L.A. or S.D. at ½ the price. Would highly recommend. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. This place is a must.

[Mick Ruthven]

link

[kel]

One of the best--and one one of the very best Italian is Bella Vita---on the corner of Country Club and Cook. They also own in the same shopping center a Gelato place which is by far the best and most authentic Italian gelato in the Desert.

[lotta_cox]

I continue to visit Palm Springs often for business. I love Shanghai Reds for raw oysters & roasted artichoke & kiyosaku for sushi.

[traveling]

Just wanted to revive this thread. Going in March for the Indian Wells tennis tournement with a couple of foodies and would love some updated recommendations for good food, any type but chinese, moderately priced, but willing to pay for "excellent" experiences. Staying in Palm Springs, but we have a car and will travel up to 30 mins. Burgers, steaks, BBQ, "Californian food", Pizza, Mexican, we love it all! can't wait to hear the suggestions. Thanks in advance

[exSiberian]

Actually, there are several new restaurants that have opened in Palm Springs, particularly in the downtown and uptown areas. Uptown is developing its own restaurant scene anchored by The Purple Palm (described above) and Copley's (continental, relatively fine dining). Thai Smile is just north of Copley's and has the best Thai food in the Coachella Valley. (I noticed that you excluded Chinese, which is just as well because it is the Valley's weak spot -- if in the mood, try Lotus in Racho Mirage.) At the end of that block, to the north, is Trio, which has become very popular since it opened last year. I haven't eaten there so I'm not sure the cuisine, exactly. On the east side of the street is the well-regarded Jake's Ready-to-Eat, which is good if a little funky for my taste. I've never gotten the rhythm of getting seated and ordering there, but it may just be me. Good food choices and the menu seems to change fairly often. Just south of that is Cheeky's, which has built a loyal following of hipsters and foodies. Very fresh ingredients and interesting choices, like a chili verde omelet and great corn panckaes. My favorite lunch item is the Vietnamese Bun, which is a butter lettuce salad with the same pork used in Banh Mi. They only do breakfast and lunch, built just recently built a bar/pizza restuarant to the south to take the lunch crowd into the evening. The sliding glass walls open the bar up to the spectacular mountain views. The whole space feels like a good hotel bar, surrounded by a thick ficus hedge. That place is called Birba and has its own wood-fired pizza oven.

In the upper uptown area (north of Vista Chino) there is Dink's, which is still relatively new, and built from the ground up as a swanky supper club. It's a great building. A little further north, and new, is The Blue Pear, which specializes in Texx Mexx cuisine. It's a very cool space -- they took the tiny old Peeraya Thai Restuarant and blew out most of the walls, and reached into the adjacent hotel to create The Pool House. I think you may be able to drink poolside and eat in the restuarant.

Closer in, Azul has been mentioned for tapas. New is Cafe Zini Med, another small plate restaurant in the core of downtown. It's right next door to See's Candies. It's the second restaurant by the owner of Zin Bistro. In that same plaza (La Plaza), at the east end, is the legendary Tyler's, famous for burgers. They grill an excellent burger with very good fries and potato salad. Almost all of the seating is patio seating (I think there are about 6 seats inside) and be prepared to wait. New in the burger field is the Grind Brgr Bar, a block south above The Chop House. It's by the owners of The Chop House and Kaiser Grill, and the burgers are quite good. They specialize in grass fed beef, and also have burgers made from lamb, buffalo and game. Lots of bun options, cheese and topping options, and they have a great second floor patio with a million dollar view. Try the sweet potato fries.

There's a new pizza place in downtown, too: Bill's Pizza, which is right next to Tyler's. There are not many places on Indian Avenue besides those two, but Fisherman's Market & Grill a block south is worth the trip. My personal favorite is the swordfish tacos, though anything grilled is great. Their cole slaw is excellent, with just the right amount of celery seeds, and if you get fries, they are the hefty steak fry fires. It's also where Shanghai Red's is, though Red's is only open at night and you enter from the parking lot. (How to make great use of a back building). There are also a couple of brand new places -- Torme's (owned by The Velvet Fog's daughter) Jazz Club and Rio Azul come to mind -- that are so new I haven't heard much one way or the other.

Another relatively new spot in the heart of downtown is Okura, a sushi place that is a step above some of the small sushi spots in town. They have a patio on two sides so it's agreat spot for people watching, too. I also like both Matchbox (pizza, sliders, martinis) and The Falls (steaks) on the same block. Both are upstairs and have great bars and people watching.

FInally, there are two quintessential Palm Springs places -- and don't mix them up. Spencer's is at the west end of Baristo, right at the base of the mountain, at The Tennis Club. It's the great Palm Springs power lunch spot. My personal favorite is the Ahi Nicoise salad, which I returned to again and again. They also have a good burger and an excellent Reuben sandwich, among other things. It's quite romantic at dinner, too. Sherman's is a block or so east of downtown, across from the Hilton, and is a classic Kosher-style deli. I like their corned beef, and things like their cabbage rolls and sweet and sour cabbage soup. Their salads are good but know that they dress their Cobb with a vinaigrette. Very good breakfast, too. And they have a full bakery, so if you feel like packing in a decadent dessert, this is the place.

[traveling]

Thanks, exSiberian. a good start!
Anyone else?

[Kvguzman]

I'm getting ready to move to Rancho Mirage for a bit and will have a car (and i'm a Los Angeleno) so driving is not an issue....... I am huge "ethnic" food fan and would love anyone's help on tracking down the best of the chinese, japanese (sushi and non sushi), thai, mexican, etc. restaurants. And I don't mean $6 lunch special chinese (unless it's reminiscent of the goods of the San Gabriel Valley), i mean good, tastes-like-a-grandmother-cooked-it kind of stuff.... bonus if there is a korean restaurant too!

any info is much appreciated!! THANKS!

[theOracle]

You'll love the sushi here, even the Jumping Shrimp. There are two of these, but this one's the best. Get a map for this one, it isn't easy to see from the 111.

Sam's Sushi, 79485 Highway 111 La Quinta, CA

[pringle347]

BLUE COYOTE GRILL! And Have the Calabacitas Soup.

[theOracle]

Lucky's is an order-ahead, carry-out place. They have the best tamales in the Coachella Valley. Priced from $2.25 to <$2, depending on how many you order. They have pork, beef, chicken and grreen corn. Regrigerate or freeze and reheat. You are always in stock. They also do full carry-out meals, like Thanksgiving.

[Papuli]

Do you have more info on Lucky's? I can't find anything!

[theOracle]

Their telephone is 760-342-1999 They man be listed under Jackalope Ranch or Jackalope Ranch Tamales.

[LAfoodwhore]

Hi Everyone,

I cant believe this post is still going :)

I am a Palm Springs regular now, and I want to share my fav restaurants

Zin - great macaroni n cheese

Cheekys - amazing breakfast/brunch

Birba - great drinks and pizza

Al Dente - delicious pasta

Trio - fav dinner place

Normas - brunch is a must

Native Foods - lunch or dinner, cant go wrong

Have any new restaurants opened this year? I am going next week and would love to try something new.