How Restaurant Design Impacts the Dining Experience
In the sun-drenched expanse of the Coachella Valley, where light has long captivated artists, a different kind of artistry plays out within the desert’s most lauded dining rooms, where psychological games of color, secrets, shadow, and storytelling take place.
Long before she stepped into a professional kitchen, Nyitre Rodgers already had a guiding culinary philosophy. At dinner one night in Aruba with friends, she watched a companion push ingredients from her entrée to the side, as if removing the decoration. Rodgers,...
Each year, Palm Springs Life invites readers to vote for their favorite businesses, experiences, and attractions across Greater Palm Springs in our city-by-city Best of the Best competition. Below, you’ll find this year’s winners for Best Bar Scene. Explore the full...
SPONSORED Smokin’ Burgers & Lounge This bustling neighborhood joint keeps the crowds coming back with made-to-order burgers, generous portions, and a lively atmosphere that includes a spacious patio and friendly Cheers-like full bar that stays open late seven days...
Bellatrix Restaurant & Wine Bar, the Tuscan-inspired clubhouse restaurant at Classic Club in Palm Desert, is on a mission to push the culinary envelope beyond typical country club fare. Leading this flavorful reimagining is executive chef Jose Torres, a Coachella...
Named Best Brunch in Cathedral City in this year’s Best of the Best competition, Brunch 101 offers a laid-back, no-rules approach to brunch. With a creative menu and easygoing vibe, Brunch 101 has quickly become a local favorite. We spoke with owner Natasha Garcia to...
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Set at the historic Palm Springs Tennis Club — an exclusive gathering place since the 1930s for celebrities like Katharine Hepburn and Bob Hope — Spencer’s Restaurant is synonymous with the desert’s classic style and timeless appeal. Elegance and comfortable...
Experience the extraordinary! One of the largest venues in Southern California, this Western-themed destination recently received a refresh under new ownership. Tucked off Highway 111, due east of Jefferson Street, the property comfortably accommodates groups of any...
From its earliest days, La Quinta Resort & Club has been known for exceptional dining and gracious service. In the 1920s, resort founder Walter H. Morgan created a retreat for his high-society friends, who were rumored to turn orange juice into Citrus Blossoms...
A go-to brunch spot since it opened on El Paseo in Palm Desert a decade ago, Wilma & Frieda continues to attract patrons with a menu of “childhood favorites with a grown-up flavor profile,” shares co-owner Kelly McFall, who conceptualized the elevated eatery with...
Walt and Dorothy Elmer opened a pancake house in Portland, Oregon, long before the City of Roses had developed its reputation as a haven for freethinking gastronomes. Founded in 1960, amid a rising countercultural movement in the Northwest, Elmer’s Colonial Pancake...
History of the Red Barn in Palm Desert and Photos of New Design
Cyrus Tahmasebi blames the margaritas. He and his wife, Marcie, were on their second round at Fresh Agave in Palm Desert when the big red barn across Highway 111 caught their eyes. They’d struck up a conversation with locals at a nearby table, asking where to...
Lola Rose Lola Rose, the second-story restaurant at the new Thompson hotel, deftly translates the cuisine of a desert culture on the other side of the globe to downtown Palm Springs in hyper-stylish digs. With Levantine-inspired mezze spreads, kabob platters, and...
Trio Restaurant A longtime fixture on Palm Canyon Drive fully revamped and reimagined in 2023, Trio’s innovative California modern cuisine is beloved for its locally sourced ingredients. Drop in for cocktails, freshly made pasta, and people-watching on the patio, or...
Lulu California Bistro All palates lead to this Palm Springs mainstay whose wide-ranging menu includes soups and salads, sandwiches and burgers, pastas and pizzas, plus plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Azure Palm Café Delight in the healthy fare...
Dragon Lili Boba Bar With more than 100 flavor combinations for milk teas, frozen teas, and smoothies, guests can get creative. “Every step is an adventure,” managing partner Amber Castillo says. She recommends the Melon Cooler, a cantaloupe kiwi green tea with...
PS Air Bar At PS Air Bar, the golden age of air travel meets the thrill of a speakeasy. “We wanted to make a place that was interactive,” says co-owner Tom Beatty, who opened the space with his husband, Dennis Costa. This immersive, airplane-themed bar serves up...
Twenty6 Stylish and relaxed, this modern brunch spot takes its name from the year La Quinta Resort & Club opened: 1926. In the dining room or on the sun-kissed patio, you’ll enjoy elevated comfort food such as the cinnamon-spiced French toast, huevos rancheros, or...
Author Discovers the Best Summer Salad in Palm Desert
It’s a few weeks after the end of festival season and a few weeks before summer, and I’m doing the one thing I generally refuse to do after April and before October: I’m waiting in a line. “Are you sure about this?” my wife, Wendy, asks. We’re behind at least a dozen...
The first note is marvelous mango. Ambrosial and fragrant, the tropical fruit’s honeylike sweetness is tempered by a subtle tang. Each taste is a creamy reprieve — part smoothie, part sundae. Soon, intrigue teases the tongue. A zesty burst, a saltiness settles in,...
