restaurants Archives | Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels

Go international

Saffron — Fans of Persian cuisine (of which we’ve been a bit lacking) will be happy to know that the flavors are all here. Located in the former home of Roly China Fusion (RIP), some of my friends (yes, I have those) said they quite enjoyed the menu and atmosphere.

Alana Bar and Tapas — Formerly the home of the Palm Springs Modernism Museum, this hip little spot is next to the original Las Casuelas. Currently, they’re only serving cocktails, with tapas coming soon.

Sotto Voce — At The Shops, 1345 N. Palm Canyon. The Shops and Sotto Voce are in a super cool historic site that’s actually on the Modernism Week bus tours; their sister cafe in Palm Desert is quite popular, and I’m looking forward to a visit.

East meets west

Ponzu — This sushi spot has been around for a minute, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before. My friends get around, they’ve been here too and say it’s excellent. It’s in the heart of downtown, catty-corner to Marilyn and Downtown Park. Stop by Clandestino or Canopy Wine Lounge before or after for drinks/appetizers.

Joyce’s Sushi — It’s not downtown, but based on its popularity in Palm Desert, you should know about this place. The location is not in the least bit fancy. It’s in the Ralph’s on the corner of Ramon and Sunrise, behind the Carl’s Jr., next to Mario’s and Asaderos Corrales III. It’s all very international: Mexico meets Italy meets Japan meets good old American fast food. It’s practically the U.N.

All American options

Lost Property — At Skylark Hotel (read about recent renovations and additions here). From their website: “Serving up coastal-inspired dishes with a modern edge. Menu curated by the talented L.A.-based chef Brandon Kida, featuring locally sourced, flavor-packed ingredients. And of course, cocktails.”

Desert Moon — So long Rio Azul Mexican restaurant, and hello to the latest locally-owned, fine-dining restaurant in Palm Springs. The menu looks really impressive, but alas nothing for vegetarians or vegans at this time. So keep that in mind if you’re booking groups.

BBQ and beer

Big Earl’s BBQ — Brand new and located at The Fireside Inn. That’s a late night spot where non-locals rarely go because they simply don’t know about it. They’re open so late, industry workers and entertainers go here to unwind. Last time I was there they had a whole outside with ping pong tables. They often have karaoke, but today we’re here for Earl and his meats. You want it? Earl has it, and knows how to cook and sauce it. Yelp reviews are a solid five stars so far.

Coachella Valley Brewing Company — Mercado Plaza is that yellowish complex across from La Plaza in the same space where the bronze of Sonny Bono is hanging out on the fountain. The same Mercado houses Jimmy B’s, Maracas, and Happy Sushi. Upstairs from those (there’s an elevator), Wilma & Frieda’s can be found, and across the bridge, the somewhat new Broken Yolk, as well as the fresh-off-the-presses CVBC. They’ve got salad, burgers, and brews, of course. And they’ve got a bird’s nest view of Palm Springs.

It’s carpe diem 24/7 here in Palm Springs, where you can relax and let your freak flag fly. Or you can be very mindful, very demure. You do you. We are, however, very big on nice, so if you could be that, that would be swell.

Don’t forget to shop, stay local, tip your servers and guides, and bring your swimsuit!

You guys, a new cat distribution portal has opened in Palm Springs! Located in the Rimrock Shopping Mall at the base of the Araby Trail/Goat Trails, Frisky Business Cat Cafe appeared in January and unlike other portals it has people amenities: delicious coffee, teas, water, and snacks from Aspen Mills Bakery and Chef Tanya’s Kitchen. Most importantly, for $22 you get a beverage of your choice and 45 minutes of cuddles and playtime with 12 adorable, adoptable kitties. Don’t have time for cuddles (you heartless bastard)? A coffee and a nosh after your hike keeps the portal open.

They don’t go out and grab kitties off the street and throw them into a room with you and watch the “fun,” no. That’s called a night at my cousin’s house in Georgia. These cats are from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter (PSAS) and have all been vetted for health conditions, are fixed/neutered, and pre-socialized. Every person that enters the kitties’ comfy and well-decorated living room helps socialize them just a little bit more with scratches and play times. The wall has photos and the history of each kitty, and it’s a bit of a game matching them up.

If you’ve got a cat, these babies will make you a little less lonely for the feline you had to leave at home. AND you have a beautiful and up close view of the mountain that never gets old.

Allergic? You can still grab a coffee without fear of a sneezing fit as the kitties have their own rooms — one for socializing and snoozing in the afternoon sun, and the other windowless. You know, for modesty reasons. The cafe itself is cat and dander free.

And now for story time. I booked a 45-minute visit on a Sunday. It was actually quite busy, both in the cafe and in the kitty room. I went with a couple of friends, and we got our beverages (I had a cold brew with oat milk and it was delish!) and then we went in the cat room where a family of four was enjoying some kitty time. The cats were curious about the newcomers, and there were some leg rubs and somersaults. We all settled into a lounge area and watched the cats interact and bathe in the afternoon sun as it dipped down behind the mountain. And then an extraordinary thing happened. Three bonded kitties that they’d had little hope of rehoming together got adopted! A couple whose two cats died a few months back adopted all three! The 10-year old kitties’ good fortune brought tears to everyone’s eyes. I wiped away one just now at the retelling. I’m such a mush.

On the other side of town and spectrum is Boozehounds, the dog-friendly spot that recently earned a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Welcome to Boozehounds. Photo courtesy of Boozehounds

Although you and your pooch are relegated to the well-decorated atrium and patio, they are separate, and huge areas. The entire restaurant is 7,000 square feet, so there’s plenty of room for everyone.

There are many Palm Springs restaurants that permit dogs, but it’s generally sidewalk dining. While there’s nothing wrong with that, Boozehounds is completely contained, keeping out the distraction and sounds of traffic so for an hour or more you can kiss the rest of the world goodbye. It doesn’t have the spectacular view of Frisky Business, but it does have a very upscale, creative menu, and food options for your dog.

Here was our lineup: an order of fries for the table (plenty for four and oh so good, ask for more ketchup); two orders of garlic noodles (delicious, but our stomachs were chatting — and by chatting I mean close to getting into an argument — at the play we saw after); one fried fish and truffle fries (delicious, he said); and two slightly green-tinged thumbs up on the avocado toast. Although you can’t tell from our orders, they have a robust brunch menu and their dinner options are mostly Asian inspired.

This won’t matter in a minute, but the patio does not have outdoor heaters, so it was a bit chilly after sundown.

And that’s the animal round up for Palm Springs. As a reminder, many of our small hotels and resorts allow you to bring your pooch; I’ve pre-sorted them for you here.

P.S.: It’s almost kitten season. Frisky Business might just be working on something with PSAS so keep an eye out. Kittens need to be socialized, so you can help while participating in their kitten antics! Squeee!!! A must for people who enjoy the Kitten Bowl (over here!).

P.S.S.: If you’re into horses, try Smoke Tree Stables. I don’t think they have a Pony Bowl, but what do I know. I’m a cat lady.