Mark Your Calendars for Impending Fests
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the new Mi Chavela Fest in Cathedral City, from 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 16.
Luchador Brewing Company, at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, is hosting this indoor/outdoor festival. It will feature Michelada vendors, food trucks, bands, a full lucha libre wrestling match and a lowrider car show. Tickets start at just $10. Find more information at facebook.com/michavelafest.
If you’re more into wine than micheladas, take note: Two new wine festivals are slated to soon debut.
The Desert Wine Fest is slated to be held at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa, at 41000 Bob Hope Drive, in Rancho Mirage, on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29. This event (which was originally scheduled for last spring and postponed due to weather) is created by the people who run LAWineFest. Tickets range from $25 (designated driver) to $110 (VIP Garden). For more information, visit www.desertwinefest.com.
The first Palm Springs Food and Wine Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11 and 12, at the Palm Springs Stadium Pavilion, at 1901 E. Baristo Road. Culinary luminaries including chefs Susan Feniger and Martin Yan are slated to attend; you’ll also find a global array of boutique wineries. Tickets start at $110, with discounts. (Full disclosure: I am helping organize this event.) Learn more at palmspringsfoodandwine.org.
In Brief
The Greater Palm Springs Realtors are sponsoring the Drive to Survive Food Drive through Sept. 15. This effort to fill the shelves of the LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Desert’s Food Bank has real estate agents competing to raise donations. Contact your favorite agent, or donate directly at give.thecentercv.org/campaign/community-foodbank/c495286. … The Rowan Palm Springs, at 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way, has a variety of new offerings from Richard Crespin, the new executive chef. You’ll find new menus in each restaurant, a Monday Industry Night at High Bar, and Thirsty Tuesdays at Juniper Table; learn more at www.rowanpalmsprings.com. … Mr. O’s BBQ Pit has replaced the Palm Springs location of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 5200 E. Ramon Road. This small chain, with five locations around Southern California, promises a family barbecue experience. Check out mrosbbq.com to learn more. … 533 Viet Fusion, at 1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 625, in Palm Springs, has new owners: former manager Brenda Jimenez and longtime employee Rolando Gonzalez, who say they plan to keep the staff and food consistent. The restaurant is now closed, but they hope to reopen Sept. 1, licensing issues pending. Watch www.533vietfusion.com. … New to Cathedral City: Five03 Pupusas, at 69185 Ramon Road, Suite D3, featuring five types of pupusas and three Salvadorian sweets. For those wondering, the country code for El Salvador is 503, which is how they arrived at the name. Learn more at www.instagram.com/fiveo3_pupusas. … Breakfast Republic has come to the desert, specifically 44491 Town Center Way, in Palm Desert. This Southern California mini-chain was born in San Diego before spreading to West Hollywood, La Jolla, Long Beach and beyond. Try the pineapple upside down pancakes, the Jurassic Pork benedict, or the breakfast jambalaya with a housemade Bloody Mary; breakfastrepublic.com. … Blazing King BBQ and Hotpot is now open at 72600 Dinah Shore Drive, in Palm Desert. This all-you-can-eat dining experience offers traditional Asian hotpot and Korean barbecue fare—with a nightclub bar/lounge vibe. Find out more at blazingkingbbqhotpot.com. … There is movement at the old Lord Fletcher’s at 70385 Highway 111, in Rancho Mirage. A beer and wine service application with a new company named Afternoon Gossip has been posted—and that’s all we know. Lord Fletcher’s, which closed in 2020, was a favorite of Frank Sinatra’s and is prominently featured in the film Sinatra in Palm Springs. … New to Palm Desert: La Dolce Piccola, at 73255 El Paseo, Suite 20, serving gelato and baked goods, with a focus on fresh ingredients. Head to ladolcepiccolagelateria.com for more information. … New to Indio: Coral Sushi and Sake Bar, at 49830 Jefferson St., offers a variety of hand rolls, nigiri and grilled dishes in a casual, relaxed setting. Find out more coralsushibar.com. … Nearby, Palm Desert institution Keedy’s has opened another location, at 49890 Jefferson St., Suite 108. The original site opened in 1957 and has been serving breakfast and lunch to generations of desert-dwellers. This second location and the new Keedy’s On the Run (at 49876 Jefferson St.) promise to continue to delight with their “modern twist on the classic” soda fountain fare. Watch keedysrestaurants.com. … With more than 95 locations across California and Arizona, Ono Hawaiian BBQ must be doing something right. The new location in Indio, at 42560 Jackson St., brings an emphasis on fresh ingredients using authentic Hawaiian recipes. Their plate lunches and aloha plates are delicious; I have eaten several times at the Beaumont location. Learn more at onohawaiianbbq.com. … Indian Wells will soon have a Sprouts Farmers Market in the space formally occupied by Ralph’s, at Highway 111 and Cook Street. Watch for an October opening; it will be Sprouts’ second location in the Coachella Valley.
Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.