More Food and Wine Fest News!
Spring is generally considered “festival season” in the Coachella Valley—but are October and November now “food and wine festival season”?
As reported last month, we have two new wine festivals coming, and now we have word of the Agua Caliente Food Truck Festival, taking place at the casino at 68960 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City, from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7. Multiple food trucks will join music by The Moontones; admission is free. Visit aguacalientecasinos.com/agua-event/agua-caliente-food-truck-fest to learn more.
The next day, Sunday, Oct. 8, you can enjoy Filipino culture at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, via the new Coachella Valley Filipino Festival, with film screenings, food vendors and cultural performances taking place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find out more at instagram.com/cvfilipinofest.
From 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, Taste of On the Mark returns to Palm Springs’ Museum Way. Attendees can try some of the store’s favorite beer, food and wine products. The ticket price of $70-$95 includes a tasting glass and unlimited samples of the various drinks and food. Get tickets at tinyurl.com/29hkyrv2.
Updates
A while back, we reported that Umami Seoul, at 67555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City, was getting a concept update as the owning family’s daughter took over the restaurant. The space is now BeeCh Please (BeeCh is a portmanteau of beer and chicken), featuring Korean fried chicken, Korean-style ramen and, you guessed it, beer! Sadly, during opening week, the building was tagged with racist graffiti—so this family-run business needs our support! See the full menu at beechpleasecc.com.
We previously reported that Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill, at 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, was being sold to Waldo Cesoni, owner of Backstreet Bistro and Waldo’s Ristorante in Palm Desert. That deal fell through—and the original owners, with two new business partners, reopened the restaurant on Aug. 31. Find out more at rioazulpalmsprings.com.
The Palm Springs Farmers’ Market is slated to return to the Palm Springs Cultural Center (2300 E. Baristo Road) on Saturday, Sept. 30, while the Palm Desert market will reopen Sunday, Oct. 1, at Entrada del Paseo, at Highway 111 and El Paseo, next to the Chamber of Commerce.
The market has also announced that their popular Market Match program, which doubles CalFresh and EBT dollars, is matching up to $20 through the end of the year.
In Brief
Better Ice Cream, formerly in the Indio Mall, has moved to 42250 Jackson St., Suite 102. You can’t help but have a good time with more than 30 ice cream flavors, snacks and signature drinks; facebook.com/bettericecream … Jackalope Ranch, at 80400 Highway 111, in Indio, reopened Sept. 14 under new ownership after being closed for almost three years due to the pandemic and a major remodeling. They source meats and produce locally whenever possible; jackalope-ranch.com. … New to Indio, serving seafood, burgers and Mexican food: Dino Restaurant, at 82231 Indio Blvd. … And new to Palm Desert: Mega Café, at 78375 Varner Road, with diner fare like sandwiches, burgers, soup, etc. These two places don’t have much of an online presence beyond Yelp … Santorini Gyro, the local Greek chain with two locations in Palm Springs and one in Cathedral City, is planning a fourth location in Rancho Mirage, by the Country Club Café at Monterey Avenue and Country Club Drive. There was no information on the website or social media as of this writing, but there’s a sign up at the space. … The first fully operational mobile food facility in Palm Springs, which meets all the newest City Council regulations, is set to launch, with its primary location at Demuth Park. Palm Springs Charcuterie will offer charcuterie boxes, sandwiches, snacks and select non-alcoholic beverages. See the menu and watch for updates at palmspringscharcuterie.com. … Carousel Bakery, at 440 S. El Cielo Road, Suite 14, has taken over the space formerly occupied by Nicolino’s, just steps from their former location. They now serve a wider variety of pastries and have a dining area where you can enjoy burgers, sandwiches and breakfast. You’re missing out if you have not tried their pecan sticky bun; facebook.com/carouselbakerypalmsprings. … Broken Yolk Café is returning to Palm Springs in the space that was previously Brickworks, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Hopefully they will be reactivating the Facebook page soon at facebook.com/BrokenYolkCafePalmSprings. … Del Rey at Villa Royale, at 1620 S. Indian Canyon, in Palm Springs, has reopened with a refreshed décor, poolside lunch, an expanded menu and a prix fixe five-course paella night! For more information, visit villaroyale.com. … Maleza at the Drift Hotel, at 284 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, and the Palm Springs Art Museum have announced a partnership: Museum members enjoy 10% off the total food bill. On Thursday nights from 7 to 10 p.m., Maleza will celebrate Palm Springs Village Fest by offering specials, including discounted margaritas and a half-dozen oysters for $12; malezapalmsprings.co. … New: Zadie Café, at 400 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way inside the Hilton Palm Springs, offers a modern twist on Mediterranean comfort food. Think chicken schnitzel sandwiches and challah grilled cheese; zadiecafe.com. … The former MidMod Café space, at 515 N. Palm Canyon Drive, will soon become Crudo Cervicheria (Trend alert: Here’s another portmanteau, in this case cerveza and ceviche.) Look for a mid-October opening, and a focus on Northern Mexican dishes with an emphasis on fresh seafood and beer; facebook.com/CrudoPalmSprings. … TRIO, the 14-year-old stalwart of the Palm Springs dining scene at 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, has remodeled and now has a focus on sharable plates, with executive chef Jeremy Loomis adding his spin to the California-inspired menu. The restaurant’s updated interior includes light gray walls, warm wood and contemporary lighting fixtures; triopalmsprings.com. … The fried chicken dinners are back at Holiday House, 200 W. Arenas Road, in Palm Springs. These family-style meals take place on occasional Wednesdays, with the next two taking place Oct. 11 and Oct. 25; reservations can be made on Open Table. Chef Shawn Applin tells me he also plans to soon reintroduce the family-style steak dinners at Sparrows Lodge (1330 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs). … Want to buy a restaurant? Hughes Properties (hughesproperties.com) listings as of this writing include I Heart Mac and Cheese in Palm Springs, La Brasserie Bistro and Bar in La Quinta, Over the Rainbow Desserts in Palm Springs, Nicolino’s Italian Restaurant in Cathedral City, and the Bermuda Dunes location of Wrap Shack. … Sort of related: Manhattan in the Desert, at 2665 E Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, is in the process of changing ownership pending the liquor license transfer. … And On the Mark, at 111 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, has been sold to long time manager Bubba. Good luck to original owner Mark van Laanen!
Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
