Quentin Garcia was taking his veggies for granted.
That’s one lesson the Lola Rose Grand Mezze executive chef, who hails from Indio, learned when he walked into his kitchen at the Thompson Palm Springs and noticed visiting chefs from Mexico chowing down on raw ingredients. “They were enjoying a bowl of peppers as kitchen snacks,” Garcia recalls. “I’d never seen anything like it. They were really appreciating the bounty of produce we have here in California.”
Garcia is among several local restaurateurs who have recently turned their kitchens into temporary collaborative labs, inviting outside talent — from Michelin-recognized chefs to celebrated winemakers — to create one-time offerings that have redefined the term destination dining. The collaborations are designed to generate hype and foster a cultural exchange with culinary minds from beyond the Coachella Valley.
A series at rooftop restaurant 4 Saints at the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs pairs wines with meals.
Photo courtesy visit greater palm springs
Boozehounds has hosted a Guilty Pleasures dinner collaboration.
Photo courtesy boozehounds
During a Desert to Desert collaboration at Lola Rose, Garcia worked with executive chef Ari Reyes from The Cape, a Thompson hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. “The partnership was about honoring our roots while pushing boundaries,” explains Garcia, who first traveled to Mexico to collaborate with Reyes on a dinner and brunch, and to demonstrate how to make his beloved shakshuka. “We showed how desert cuisine connects across oceans and cultures,” Garcia says.
The Desert to Desert cross-pollination culminated in a sold-out, six-course dinner at Lola Rose that fused Garcia’s Levantine-inspired, wood-fired specialties with Reyes’ Baja-centric seafood delicacies, marrying Southern California’s low desert with Mexico’s desert coast for a meal that diners won’t find on the everyday menu.
For visiting chef Reyes, the challenge was as logistical as it was geographical. “We didn’t know how or even if we were going to find everything we needed to cook,” Reyes says. “I’ve been to the U.S. for vacation, but traveling to cook is very different. We decided not to bring our knives, only some ingredients that we didn’t think we could source to make our mole. I also came with the special dry corn I use for my ceviche.”
Other culinary experiences have popped up around the desert. Boozehounds executive chef Aric Ianni teamed with chef Brian Redzikowski of San Diego’s Michelin-recognized Kettner Exchange for an audacious Guilty Pleasures dinner. For the Raising the Steaks series at The Steakhouse at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, executive chef Juan Morales invited James Beard Award–winning chef David Burke to show off his whimsical yet refined approach to American cuisine.
The Steakhouse’s Juan Morales (on right) welcomed award-winning chef David Burke for the series Raising the Steaks.
Photo courtesy agua caliente casinos
At 4 Saints, the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs’ rooftop restaurant, a recurring dinner series sees wineries like Opus One and Caymus pairing vino with executive chef Richard Crespin’s creations. “Bringing in winemakers from outside the Coachella Valley broadens our guests’ experiences and sparks creativity at 4 Saints,” says Louis E. Martin, the hotel’s director of food and beverage. “It’s a chance to not only showcase our beautiful restaurant but a way to create harmony between regions and traditions.”
The approach leads to more intimate experiences for diners and an opportunity for creative flourishes from Coachella Valley chefs. “These collaborations create an undeniable buzz,” Martin adds. “They offer our guests something truly exclusive — an over-the-top culinary moment they can’t get anywhere else.”
Wine Time
At these upcoming dining experiences, vino finds a match in regional cuisine.
Dec. 4
Cork & Fork, Indio
A distinctive array of dishes from executive chef Andie Hubka take inspiration from pours from Barnett Vineyards and Tate Wine. Diners can purchase the sampled wines at a discount.
Dec. 10
Bellatrix, Palm Desert
With a focus on bold reds, Levendi Winery visits Bellatrix at the Classic Club in Palm Desert for dining experiences crafted by chef Jose Torres and food and beverage director Anthony Nespoli.
Dec. 11
4 Saints, Palm Springs
On the rooftop of the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, executive chef Richard Crespin will pair his Californian cuisine with sips from Hundred Acre Wine during this 4 Saints experience.
Dec. 18
Wally’s Desert Turtle, Rancho Mirage
Curated by sommelier and chef Blair Roche, the bespoke menu takes cues from the regional bounty with wine pairings from Santa Barbara’s Rancho Ontiveros and Native9.
