Best Restaurant Comeback
Rooster and the Pig
Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill
On Feb. 3, Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill co-owner Dani Saenz posted a heartbreaking video on social media. Due to an electrical “building panel blowout,” the restaurant, at 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, and the rest of the businesses in that building would be closed for an estimated three weeks, Saenz said.
A couple of doors down, Rooster and the Pig owner Tai Spendley wrote a similar post: “Due to unfortunate circumstances with the building’s electrical, we are closed until further notice.”
The closure didn’t last three weeks. Instead, it lasted nearly three months—during the height of season, the busiest time of year for area restaurants.
After a long closure, restaurants can’t necessarily re-open right away. Staff needs to be re-hired and trained; food needs to be reordered; and so on. Rooster and the Pig was able to ramp up and reopen on June 1, much to the delight of its fans (myself included).
Matters at Rio Azul were much worse. Saenz announced on social media that due to insurance squabbles, they had no choice but to close. Not long after, a sale was announced to another restaurateur.
Much to my surprise, on Aug. 30, I got a note from Saenz. The sale had fallen through, she said—and with the help of a new co-owner, she and her father, chef Ernesto Gastelum, would be re-opening Rio Azul the next day.
We’re blessed that two of Palm Springs’ better restaurants somehow survived this calamity—so please, go support them, and enjoy.
—Jimmy Boegle
Best Increasingly Popular Local Band
Lazuli Bones
It’s been an eventful year for Lazuli Bones (formerly Blue Sun)—and the band has earned a place in the hearts of many local music lovers.
Whether they’re gaining the attention of the music industry by performing at events like the Goldenvoice-produced Chella, or they’re thrilling crowds at backyard and house shows, the members of Lazuli Bones are earning new fans with every performance. I caught a show soon after they released their latest album, Garden Girl, and a huge chunk of the crowd already knew some of the words, causing frontwoman Madison Ebersole’s lyric of “I don’t fuck around” to become an anthemic chant on song “face value.” Songs that have been out for a few years, like “QUIT YOUR JOB” and “SEVEN OF SWORDS,” are scene favorites, as the crowd both mouthed along and danced around to the shifting sounds of the reggae/punk/alternative mix.
The next time Lazuli Bones has a local show, don’t miss your chance to see one of the Coachella Valley’s musical gems. Learn more at instagram.com/_lazulibones.
—Matt King
Best Rapper/Ripper
Razor J
Being a stellar guitar player is impressive; so is being a stellar rapper. When you combine both, and add in a ton of energy, you get Razor J—a performer who is beyond impressive.
Razor J, aka Juan Espino, is one of the Coachella Valley’s most unique artists. His musical wizardry as a guitarist beautifully melds with his insanely fast and emphatic word skills. “1 AM” shows off Espino’s lyrical side, and his breakneck speed shines through on “All Out.” The guitarist virtuoso makes room for solos on songs like “Easy to Forget” and latest single “Just Fine.” He also did a great solo on a recent Analog Lab track called “Anime Song.”
Head on down to the next Razor J show—and after he takes his shirt off, he just might rip a guitar solo above you in a treetop. Find out more at linktr.ee/RazorJ.
—Matt King
Best Way to Help Educators
Read With Me Volunteer Programs
If you’ve ever read an article lamenting the state of public education and wondered how you could help, Coachella Valley’s Read With Me Volunteer Programs is a great answer.
The nonprofit was started in 2004 by Roberta and Clay Klein. In partnership with the Riverside County Office of Education, Read With Me places volunteers in local schools to work on reading skills with children, primarily from low-income, limited-English-speaking environments. More than 500 volunteers work with some 4,200 elementary school students, individually and in small groups, at the direction of teachers. No prior educational experience is necessary to volunteer—just a desire to help kids learn to read English proficiently.
As a volunteer, I get as much, or more, out of working with these kids as they do. The few hours I spend volunteering each week provide an antidote to the negativity of the world and brighten my perspective on the future. I always have a funny or heartwarming story to share with my spouse about what the kids said or did; it’s a priceless experience.
If you’re interested in volunteering with Read With Me, visit readwithmevolunteers.com, or call 760-567-1830.
—Jeffrey Clarkson
Best Soothing Debut Single
“Swan Dive” by The Divines
The members of local band The Divines may still be in high school, but the sounds they are creating are extremely unique—showing a level of talent atypical for performers their age.
The Divines have been experimenting with a mix of psychedelic indie rock, yet they find moments to infuse soulful and bluesy elements. In other words, The Divines not only bring the party, but also the slow dance. On debut single “Swan Dive,” frontman Jose Antonio Martinez’s beautiful vocal delivery provides somber and soulful narration over a subdued, groovy and lovely instrumental track. Other songs the band performs live expand further into the realm of smooth psych jams.
There have only been a few shows by The Divines so far, but the audiences have been entranced by the group’s fresh take on music. I know I’m not the only one who can’t wait to see how the band grows. Check out the band at linktr.ee/the.divines.
—Matt King
Best Drink Spot/Local Music Hub
Encore Coffee Bar/Little Street Music Hall
It’s been a long journey, but Avenida Music finally has their music venue/coffee shop open in downtown Indio. In the mornings, the Encore Coffee Bar is a beautiful location to grab a good drink (ask for the “Pink Floyd”) and enjoy the scenery. You might get lucky and hear some chill acoustic music by the ever-talented Sam and Vince Gonzalez, two of the three Avenida brothers.
In the evenings, the room transforms into the Little Street Music Hall, a hub for entertainment. The couches and chairs get pushed together for an intimate comedy show, or the floor can be cleared for a night of music. The venue has featured a diverse lineup of performers spanning varied genres, and is slated to host future events ranging from drumming workshops to hardcore shows.
Avenida Music set out to create “the best, most musician-friendly, most crowd-pumping location for original music,” and in the few months since being open, Little Street Music Hall has already attracted huge crowds—of artists ready to utilize the stage, of supporters who want to enjoy a slice of Coachella Valley life, and of people who love Encore Coffee Bar’s drinks. Learn more at encorecoffee.bar.
—Matt King
Best Restaurant Reinvention
Trio
It had been a long time since I’d gone to dinner at Trio, the Palm Springs restaurant mainstay at 707 N. Palm Canyon Drive. The space felt dated, and the menu hadn’t changed much in years. There was nothing wrong with Trio—but there were more exciting meals to be had.
For a long-lasting restaurant, a major overhaul can be dangerous; regulars may get upset if they can’t get their old favorites, while people who’ve stopped coming may be slow to return. But Trio proceeded with a major revamp anyway, with chef Jeremy Loomis creating a brand-new menu while owner Tony Marchese updated the interior. The result: A fantastic new version of Trio.
Chef Loomis intends for his dishes to be shared by the table and to create interactive experiences while dining, in an effort to help foster community. As part of this reinvention, the chef is making fresh pasta in-house—one of the few restaurants in the valley doing so. On a recent visit, a salad, a plate of triangoli with summer squash, and a glass of wine reminded me why freshly made pasta is so important.
To say I am excited about the new Trio is an understatement.
—Charles Drabkin
Best Duck
Palm Tree Palace
Coachella Valley foodies love to snivel about the alleged lack of great Chinese food in the area. I must confess that I’ve engaged in some of this sniveling myself.
But no more.
One reason to stop complaining: Palm Tree Palace, a wonderful restaurant that opened in La Quinta—at 79660 Highway 111, to be precise—in 2019. I’ve dined there, or ordered takeout from there, a half-dozen or so times, and I’ve always been so pleased that I resolve to enjoy Palm Tree Palace’s food more often.
While I’ve never had a bad dish at Palm Tree Palace, it’s the Peking duck that keeps me going back. It’s so, so good. In fact, there may be no better bite of food in this valley than a piece of this duck tucked into an accompanying bun, with a little scallion and hoisin sauce. Mmm.
If you’re one of the aforementioned sniveling foodies, and you’ve never been to Palm Tree Palace, go—and you’ll stop complaining about the lack of great local Chinese food.
—Jimmy Boegle
Best Biscuits and Gravy
Lay’ Vince
Conceptually, biscuits and gravy shouldn’t be difficult to make. How hard is it to bake a tasty, flaky biscuit, and make savory, creamy gravy?
It must be quite difficult, actually. Fans of this decidedly caloric dish know all too well that feeling of disappointment after taking a first bite—and experiencing bland gravy or an uninspired biscuit … or both.
I was bracing myself for this disappointment after I ordered the biscuits and gravy (along with several other treats) to-go one recent morning at Lay’ Vince, chef Jon Merchain’s newish creation at 540 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in the Palm Springs space that once housed Frankinbun.
But I didn’t experience disappointment. Instead, I experienced perfectly seasoned gravy with delicious sausage, and a buttery, layered biscuit. I took another bite, and then another.
I was eating the best biscuits and gravy I’ve had in years.
Prue Leith, one of the judges on The Great British Baking Show, often muses on whether the item she’s eating is “worth the calories.” Most of the time, biscuits and gravy are not worth the calories—but the version at Lay’ Vince most certainly is.
—Jimmy Boegle
Best Whacked-Out Pizza
The Mac & Cheese-ZA! at Billy Q’s
It seems like such a gimmick: a pizza with macaroni, smoked bacon … and Velveeta. Yes, Velveeta, the product that Wikipedia hilariously describes as “a cheese analogue.”
If I’d have seen this pizza on the menu at some random place, I’d have avoided it like the figurative plague. But we were at Billy Q’s, the popular, longstanding pizza joint at 36901 Cook St. in Palm Desert. And then there’s the menu’s all-caps taunt in the Mac & Cheese-ZA! description: “IT WILL SURPRISE YOU!”
So I ordered it, and I was indeed surprised—and delighted.
As I wrote in my Indy Endorsement: “These ingredients worked on the pizza. The macaroni was soft enough without being mushy, while the bacon added salt, smokiness and, well, bacon. Then there’s the Velveeta … which brought everything together, serving as the sauce and providing creaminess. Last and most certainly not least, Billy Q’s standard crust was sturdy enough and quite tasty.”
If this description of the Mac & Cheese-ZA! doesn’t convince you; no worries; Billy Q’s has plenty of less-whacked-out pizza, salad, burger and sandwich offerings. But if this description does sound appealing, head to Billy Q’s, and ready yourself for a surprise—and delight.
—Jimmy Boegle