What: Biscuits and gravy
Where: Lay’ Vince, 540 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $5
Contact: 760-534-7362; www.instagram.com/layvince_ps
Why: It’s a delicious bargain.
I’ve been hearing and seeing rave after rave about Lay’ Vince, the tiny restaurant in the former Frankinbun space on Indian Canyon Drive that has three identities.
In the morning, it’s a breakfast space, offering up a limited menu of inexpensive treats like biscuits and gravy, crème brulee French toast, a breakfast burrito of the day, eggs, sausage, etc. At lunch, the offerings switch to tacos, a shrimp ceviche tostada, a bean-and-cheese burrito, a daily lunch special and so on. After the daily (except Sunday) 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours, it becomes a private-dining/special-dinners space—with all of the fare lovingly prepared by chef Jon Merchain.
I knew all of this when I walked in to get brunch to-go on a recent Saturday. I didn’t know I’d be walking into utter chaos—and I mean that in the best way possible.
The chaos doesn’t come from being busy; I was the only customer on my recent visit. It comes from the fact that Lay’ Vince is not just a restaurant—it’s also a place where you can by fresh vegetables, farm-fresh eggs, various packaged food items and more. Behind the counter, Merchain is busy preparing all the food, with prep items stacked seemingly everywhere.
It’s beyond charming—and the food is beyond tasty.
We sampled various items, including the breakfast burrito of the day (with sausage and an added egg, $7.50), that crème brulee French toast ($5) and the biscuits and gravy ($5).
As I write this, it’s been four days since my Lay’ Vince visit—and I am still thinking about the biscuits and gravy. It was the best version of this dish I’ve had in years, with great sausage, savory gravy and a nice layered biscuit.
And for $5? Not only is it fantastic; it’s a delicious bargain.
