The Mysterious Case of the Fate of Luchows Palm Springs
After a short three months in business, Luchows Palm Springs, located at 4771 E. Palm Canyon Drive, closed on Valentine’s Day—just two weeks after a ribbon cutting timed to coincide with Lunar New Year.
However, Luchows may not be dead after all.
Initially, both Luchows’ website and Facebook pages had postings explaining that the restaurant had closed, and was for sale. On Feb. 17, however, those posts were removed. Shortly thereafter, the Independent heard a rumor that a sale to a prominent valley restaurateur was pending. When we reached out to that restaurateur just before our press deadline, we received a polite “no comment.”
The closure of Luchows is undeniably sad, but it can’t be considered a total shock, seeing as the restaurant was receiving less-than-stellar reviews. Although I don’t put much faith in Yelp reviews, the 2.5-star overall rating accurately reflects my one experience there.
Opening a restaurant is not for the faint of heart, especially during the pandemic era, and owner Paul Kakuschky (one of the original partners in the much-loved Paul Bar/Food, before he moved on), admitted to being exhausted and overwhelmed. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
As for Luchows’ future … watch this site for updates; we’ll let you know if/when we receive any verified information.
The Palm Desert Food and Wine Fest Makes Its Return
The Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival, presented by Agua Caliente Casinos, will be back in 2022—from Friday, March 25, through Sunday, March 27.
With events ranging from a cheese-tasting in downtown Palm Springs (it actually takes place at On the Mark on Thursday, March 24), grand tastings at the Gardens at El Paseo, and even virtual experiences, there should be events to satisfy every palate and budget. Celebrity chefs like Carla Hall will be joining local stars like Bar Cecil’s Gabe Woo and Andrew Copley to prepare meals and tastes throughout the weekend.
Learn more at get tickets at palmdesertfoodandwine.com.
In Brief
The owners of Portland, Ore.’s Impala are opening a second location here in the desert. They hope Impala Bar and Grill will open sometime in March at 333 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Impala is billed as a Mexican sports bar, and as with the Portland location, the owners plan to host drag shows, jazz and other live music events. Impala is already listed as a participant in DAP Health’s Dining Out for Life day, on Thursday, April 28! … The Kimpton Rowan, at 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs, is hosting a comedy and wine event on Tuesday, March 1. Tickets range from $25 for comedy-only general-admission seating to $265 for an all-inclusive VIP table for four. The evening will feature winemaker Angelina Mondavi and comedian Shawn Pelofsky. I have seen Pelofsky perform several times, and she is hilarious. Find tickets on Eventbrite. … If you missed the news: the Palm Springs Cultural Center, at 2300 E. Baristo Road, in Palm Springs, is now calling its café Mildred’s, and is serving up signature chicken and waffles, burgers, various fry options, and a few other things. Grab a bite when you go see a film or live show—or have food delivered by one of the delivery apps! Get details at www.psculturalcenter.org/mildreds. … Speaking of waffles: b.street waffles has brought liège waffles to the area. Expect a rich, dense waffle with flavors like maple-bacon, salted caramel, and dark chocolate; b.street launched locally after serving tech companies like Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter in the Bay Area. For now, b.street is focusing on catering; get details at www.bstreetwaffles.com. … Southern California-based chain Habit Burger Grill has opened a new location at 73220 Dinah Shore Drive, in Palm Desert. It’s the third valley location for Habit, and the company has plans to open a fourth location in Cathedral City by the end of the year. The menu offers ever-popular charburgers, fresh salads and signature sandwiches. Learn more at www.habitburger.com.
Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
Looking forward to those b.street Belgian waffles. 😋