Palm Springs, California has always been a haven for the rich and famous, a town sprinkled with Hollywood stardust, and ready to throw a pool party for just about every occasion.
Today, Palm Springs, with its rich mid-century architecture and lovely historic inns, is an ideal place for a quick escape. There’s no better time to visit Palm Springs than during the annual Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week, to be held June 3 – 12, 2011.
During the 10-day event, more than 30 Palm Springs Restaurants will showcase their foods with unique three-course, prix fixe menus priced at either $24 or $36, which will include appetizer, main course, and dessert. (Beverages, tax, and gratuity are additional.)
A few of the “don’t miss” restaurants include:
Copley’s on Palm Canyon
Copley’s on Palm Canyon is located in a home on the former Cary Grant estate. The restaurant has great indoor and outdoor dining spaces, contributing to the classic feel of the restaurant. Simple, yet upscale, Copley’s serves great food that infuses tropical and European flavors in some unique ways. For Restaurant Week, Copley’s is offering a $36 prix fixe menu, created by Executive Chef and owner Andrew Copley. The choice of appetizers includes Chef’s famous Hawaiian Ahi Tacos. These great little bites of tuna tartar and avocado tossed in a ginger soy dressing are presented in a sesame miso shell topped with Tobiko caviar. The entrées offered include a filet, salmon and scallop duo, duck breast, or halibut. There are three dessert choices, but one of the most intriguing is the lemon and lavender scented pound cake served with the Chef’s homemade basil ice cream. The basil ice cream is smooth, creamy, and full of flavor. The beautiful bright green color is perfect for an early summer evening. The restaurant opens at 6 p.m. for each night of restaurant week.
Copley’s on Palm Canyon
621 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
760-327-9555
http://www.copleyspalmsprings.com
Escena Lounge & Grill
Escena Lounge & Grill is located at the Escena Golf Club, but it is not your typical golf course grill. The facility is in a gorgeous building designed by an award-winning architect to recapture Palm Springs’ mid-century modern architecture and provide breathtaking views of the San Jacinto Mountains. The cuisine is American and South American and the grill serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including a Sunday Brunch. The Restaurant Week menu is $24 per person and offers three appetizers, four entrees, and three desserts from which diners can select.
Escena Lounge & Grill
1100 Clubhouse View
Palm Springs, CA
760-778-2737, ext 111
http://www.escenagrill.com
Jake’s Palm Springs
Jake’s Palm Springs is a small eatery tucked into a patio and small storefront in the uptown district. Jake’s is offering a $24 menu with a choice of one of 5 appetizers, one of 5 entrees, and a dessert from a selection of homemade favorites. The watermelon salad is simple yet flavorful, perfect for a June evening, with feta cheese, mint, fresh lemon vinaigrette, and a balsamic drizzle. Another winner is Jake’s Ribs with a sweet and savory pineapple teriyaki sauce. Jake, by the way, is the owners’ dog. A loveable pooch who rests in style upstairs while her masters serve up great dishes downstairs for their customers.
Jake’s Palm Springs
664 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
760-327-4400
http://www.jakespalmsprings.com
Johannes Restaurant
Johannes Restaurant, led by chef and owner Johannes Bacher, is known for its unique combination of Euro-Asian-Austrian cuisine. Chef Johannes is often called the “Eclectic Chef” and it’s obvious in his Restaurant Week menu. You’ll find his signature Wiener Schnitzel from his native Austria, but you’ll also find Peruvian Tilapia, Maine Scallops, Tyrolian Bread and Beer Soup, and the unusual Australian Grass Fed Kangaroo Loin. This is likely the only place in Palm Springs where you’ll be able to get kangaroo during Restaurant Week. One of the dessert options is Chef’s famous Apple Strudel. The prix fixe menu for Restaurant Week is $36 per person. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m.
Johannes Restaurant
196 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
760-778-0017
http://www.johannesrestaurants.com
Johnny Costa’s Ristorante
Johnny Costa’s has been serving fine Italian cuisine in Palm Springs since the mid-1970s. It was started by Johnny Costa, who was once a chef for Frank Sinatra and cooked for a who’s who list of Hollywood greats. His family recipes continue today in what is truly a family-run business. The atmosphere is great, but the food keeps people coming back. The $24 Restaurant Week menu offers diners a choice between three appetizers and five entrées. Entrées include manicotti with fresh pasta, a chicken pizzaiola smothered in Johnny Costa’s delicious marinara sauce, or a lightly battered filet of sole. Desserts include a selection of gelato. The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Johnny Costa’s Ristorante
440 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
760-325-4556
http://www.johnnycostaspalmsprings.com
Melvyn’s at Ingleside Inn
Nothing reflects classic Hollywood in Palm Springs quite like Melvyn’s, located at the Ingleside Inn. From the charming Maitre d’Hotel on duty to the piano bar with nightly entertainment and the tableside food preparation, Melvyn’s is all about old-school classic dining. For Restaurant Week, Melvyn’s is serving a $36 prix fixe menu. There are three appetizers and four entrées from which to choose. The desserts may be the toughest part of the evening to sort out. There are three choices, and unfortunately you can only choose one. The Kahlua Flan is a Melvyn’s tradition. The Peach Tart is a layered delight with chocolate cake, peaches, Bavarian Cream, and Chambord Liqueur. The Chocolate Bomb Glace is prepared tableside, a delicious chocolate served over vanilla ice cream with flambé Grand Marnier. Dinner is served from 6 to 11 p.m. daily.
Melvyn’s
Ingleside Inn
200 W. Ramon Road
Palm Springs, CA
760-325-2323
http://www.inglesideinn.com
Mister Parker’s
Tucked into a corner in the famous The Parker Palm Springs, Mister Parker’s is offering a $36 prix fixe menu for Restaurant Week. The first course will be a choice of steak tartar, tuna Carpaccio or fromage blanc tart. The entrée will feature a choice of short ribs with faro-mushroom risotto, chicken with carrot puree and porcini gravy, or salmon with spring vegetable succotash and poached tomatoes. The highlight of the meal, however, will be the dessert. The butterscotch pot de crème with candied bacon and house made banana sorbet is unforgettable. The restaurant opens at 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for an intimate dining experience in a truly unforgettable setting.
Mister Parker’s
at The Parker Palm Springs
4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA
760-321-4629
http://www.theparkerpalmsprings.com/dine/mister-parkers.php
Peaks The Restaurant
Located at the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Peaks Restaurant is a pleasant fine-dining surprise. The views are spectacular atop the 8500 foot peak, and dinner doesn’t pale in comparison. The meal is worth the extra cost of taking the tram to the top and you should make sure you allow extra time to explore the area on top before heading to dinner. Remember to take a jacket – the temperature is typically 30 degrees cooler on top of the mountain than in the valley below. The menu choices are outstanding, and all of the food is brought up fresh daily. The vegetables are sourced locally and the seafood arrives each day from the ocean in Santa Monica. Macadamia Nut Crusted Sea Scallops are served in a tangerine butter sauce and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna prepared three ways rivals anything in even the finest Asian restaurants. The Italian Caprese Salad is not only beautiful, but the heirloom tomatoes, grown not far from Palm Springs, are incredibly flavorful. You can’t go wrong with any of the entrees. The lamb served cooked to perfection, the filet tender enough to cut with a fork, the fish and chips light and sweet, and the chicken moist with maple-soy glaze. The desserts are equally impressive, especially the Dulce de Leche cheese cake, drizzled with a light caramel and topped with fresh strawberries. You won’t descend the mountain hungry. The prix fixe menu for restaurant week is $36 per person, plus tax, gratuity, and tram fare. There is a reduced tram fare if you go up after 4 p.m. of $16 per adult, $11 for kids 3 – 12.
Peaks The Restaurant
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
One Tram Way (off Highway 111)
Palm Springs, CA
760-325-1391
http://www.pstramway.com
Trio Restaurant
Trio Restaurant, a fun, hip restaurant in Palm Springs’s uptown design district, has a great vibe and impressive food. The $24 prix fixe menu offers a choice from a selection of 5 appetizers, 6 entrees, and 3 desserts. For appetizers, both the ceviche and the calamari are great options. The calamari is light and tender and the ceviche is a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The impeccably-cooked and presented entrées are filled with flavor. The signature dessert is the Trio Nut Torte with a chocolate and caramel drizzle. The chewy, crunchy concoction is the perfect end to a great meal. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m.
Trio Restaurant
707 N. Palm Canyon
Palm Springs, CA
780-864-8746
http://www.triopalmsprings.com
Looking for a great place to stay in Palm Springs? Check out these:
- Korakia Pensione, http://www.korakia.com
- Riviera Palm Springs, http://www.psriviera.com
- Orbit In, http://www.orbitin.com
- Andalusian Court, http://www.theandalusiancourt.com
- Casa Cody, http://www.casacody.com
- The Parker Palm Springs, http://www.theparkerpalmsprings.com
For more great restaurants participating in the 2011 Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week, June 3 – 12, 2011, visit http://www.palmspringsrestaurantweek.com. You will also find links to other accommodations and great things to see and do in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs is the perfect weekend getaway from Phoenix. The drive is a quick four hours via Interstate 10, or you can fly direct from Phoenix to Palm Springs on US Airways for about $200, depending on how far in advance you book your tickets.
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